1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the printing of objects, such as bottles, vessels or like objects, of synthetic or other material, and it relates more particularly, but not exclusively, to the printing of an object by a machine comprising at least one printing station of the silk-screen type.
2. Prior Art
It is known for a printing machine having a printing station to be provided with a feed conveyor adapted to present the objects to be printed in succession, and a transfer device adapted to transfer the objects one by one from the feed conveyor to the printing station.
The printing station may be a silk-screen printing station, comprising a silk screen having certain meshes stopped and the others open, so as to constitute the design to be printed, and a squeegee associated with this screen so that movement of the squeegee in relation to the screen compels the ink to pass through the open meshes of the screen and thus to be applied to the object to be printed, which for this purpose is disposed in contact with the screen on the other side thereof in relation to the said squeegee.
For convenience, the silk screen is normally horizontal, in which case the objects to be printed, especially when bottles are concerned, must be presented in a recumbent position directly below the screen. Consequently the feed conveyor may be adapted to transport the objects to be printed, in a recumbent position. However, nowadays feed conveyors are more usually adapted to transport the objects in an upright position, especially when they are flasks, bottles or other similar vessels which are to be filled or are already filled.
In the latter case, it is necessary that between the feed conveyor and the printing station of the printing machine there is interposed a transfer device adapted to move the objects to be printed from their upright position to their recumbent position.